Car end



Nov. 24, 1931.

G. T. JOHNSON ET AL..

GAR END Filed July 16,

1929 29 Sheets-Sheet 2 ...NIMH

Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE T. JOHNSON ANDGEORGE E. IARGE, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, .ASSIGNORS TOTHE BUCKEYE STEELCASTINGS COMPANYz OF COLUMBUS, OHIO CAR nim` Application le'd July 16,1929. Serial No. 378,789.

This invention relates t0 improvements in car ends, and more especiallyto a novel onepiece metallic end for freight cars and the like.

The main objects of the invention are to` provide improved means forreinforcing the car end against bulging and to improve the cornerconstructions of the casting.

It is well known that car ends of the builtup type have many objections.

For instance, the built-up construction soon becomes considerably bulgedand otherwise distorted, due principally to endwise shifting of looselading, and to careless handling of unloading crane buckets, so that theconstruction soon demands repair or replacement. As the sheet portion ofa built-up car end is thin. (one-quarter to iive-sixteenths inches),when it is bulged. the rivet holes tear ar the rivets loosen. and suchloosening of the connection destroys its strength. Furthermore, thedistortion of the car end is communicated to the brake shaft which isattached thereto, and this interferes with the safe and efficientoperation of such staff. For reinforcement purposes, H-beams are oftenplaced horizontally across and outside the end of the car atintermediate levels, in order to stifl'en the car ends. but they toobend outward. and also collect dirt and water.

Heretofore. it has been proposed'to eliminate such difficulties bvfurnishing a onepiece cast metal car end, and another object of thepresent invention is to provide a onepiece metallic car end possessing anumber of advantages over the known cast metal car end. f

With the foregoing obiects outlined and with other obiects in view whichwill appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel features hereinafterl described in detail., illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of our improved car end. l

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4 4; of Fig. l. Y

'lhese drawings show what we now consider the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, and in this one-piece metal car end, the main web isshown at 13, and it is provided at its upper corners with the top cornerconnections i, which are horizontally disposed and are adapted to beattached to the top bulb irons la, which extend along the sides of thecar.

The web is provided at its side edges with inwardly extending relativelywide flanges 2, which are apertured to receive the rivets or the likeemployed in connecting the side edges of the end to the sides of thecar. The web is also shaped adjacent to one of its side edges to forminte-gral inside steps 3. l and 5, and at the point where the step 5 islocated, an air brake pressure retaining valve bracket 6 is located.Theend sill portion of the car end is shown at 7, and the entire castinghas all the necessary reinforcement and cored holes ready to apply tothe car.

The American Railway Association safety appliance rules do not allow anypart of the end of a standard freight car to extend beyond the plane 8-8of the face'of the striker', i

with the exception of certain brake parts. Ordinarily, the end sheet ofthe built-up construction heretofore used. will be arranged at the plane9n9, with the end sill projecting beyond it to about the plane 10--10,as shown in Fig. 4.

It will therefore be seen that as the plane 9,*9 is about the limit of'lading space for the built-up construction` the reinforcing members(outside) will project t0. or beyond the plane Vl010, and outsideladderrungs, etc., sometimes vmust be :attached to these members. thus usineupthe remaining space out to the plane 8-8. By placing the mainhorizontallv disposed reinforcing parts l1 and l2 inside the web portioni3. the cubic content of the car is appreciablv increased, withoutproiecting` the end any farther outward than the built-up construction,and without even having longer lside sheets. In other words. byutilizing relatively wide side anges 2, and arranging thek mainreinforcements 11 and 12 inwardly of the main web 13, we are able t0obtain the increased capacity of the sip/ace between the planes 9 9 and10-10.

It will be noted that the reinforcement of the car end against bulging,consists in part, of these two horizontal channel-shaped portions 11 and12, which project inward from he web 13, and are themselves reinforcedby vertical ribs 14, 15 and 16. The rib lil preferably extends the fullheight of the car sides, being at certain points, inside the web 13, andat other points, outside of the latter. .it the points where it isoutside of the web, .it spans the channel shaped reinforcements 11 and12. These ribs stiffen the structure against vertical blows which may besulilered in loading. rihe reinforcement 11 has a depression in itsupper portion which forms the step 4.

The reinforcement 11 taperstowaru tsends, as indicated at 11a in 2, asgreat iength will not be needed at the ends as at the meflial portion ofthis part, and this reinforcement also prevents the minimum section 17of the castingfrom being too small. f-rt the points 18, where thereinforcement ends, the web 13 curves around to meet the side sheets onvery large radius curves, thus reducing the chance for cracks. not onlyalong these lines, but over the full height of the car sides. Theserounded corners to the car not only malte a pleasing and substantialappearance, but actually strengthen it much more than square cornerswould.

Ve prefer to provide the inside steps 4 and 5 with upwardly extendingwings 3a, le and 5a to prevent the brakemans foot from .sliding oii'laterally, and the step 5 has combined with it, the retaining valvebracket 6. which allows connections to be made from the exterior of thecar, even while the latter is loaded. Furthermore, the inside steps arelocated beside the outside ladder, (not shown). for greatestconvenience.

It will be observed that the two reinforcing channels 11 and 12, as wellthe inside steps are so designed that they present inclined or slopingsurfaces within the car, and no free edges, so that unloading cranebuckets, etc., cannot catch upon them in their upward movement.

The edge 12a is heavily beaded to a smooth `l`bulb, both for strengthand safety, and the top inside corner details at 19, are quite stifi andeasily made by this method. and nothing can catch upon them.

The lower horizontal portion or shelf 20 also stiffens the car endagainst bulging, and seals the car iioor against corrosion, and it willbe noted that the end sill portion 7 (extending below the level of thecar floor), may, or may not be used, depending on the particularcircumstances of each case. Note also that provision is made forreceiving the lower side angles at Q1.

Our car end has been designed to fit inside the side sheets of the car,while heretofore. one-piece car ends have been designed to iii; outsideof the side sl sets. Our improvement has the advantage that no deepnotch need be made in the upper corners or" the casting to receive thetop side bulb angles. This may be clearly under-'toed by ref #e to Fig.Q, iu which the side sheets are indica e at 21a.

The new design also has foundry advantages over the ones previouslyknown. Nerf.: it not for the rivet holes, and the details at o and 21,it would require no curing at all. rlhis a very sub"autial reduetifmover i earlier designs. Furthermore, the a ment of the reinforcingribs'within the car end also ire-eps the depth 22 within proper bounds.

llilliile we have not shown such details as. push pole pockets, jackingpads, and emergency chain pull holes, it is obvious that such featuresmay be incorporated in our car if desired.

In general, the integral construction allows metal to be removed frcmplaces where it is not useful, and to be placed at points where rwf'etl.it presents smooth rounded surfaces and fewer joints, reduces corrosionand accidents to a minimum, and eliminates point: of stressconcentration. It also saves the work incident to collecting and fittingmany separate parts. The number of rivets pa ticularly, is reduced, asalso the completed weight.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, and advantageslof the iniY t tion may be readily understood, and it manifest thatchanges may be made in the details o closed, without departing from thespirit of the invention, as expressed in th(` claims.

Vhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A metallic car end having integral inwardly extending substantiallyhorizontal channel-shaped reinforcements, a horizontal top flange andprojecting side flanges formed by continuations of said top iange.

2. A metallic car end including a web and reinforcements integral withthe web, and arranged inwardly of the outer surface of the latter, theupper portion of one of said reinforcements being continued to form pro`iecting side flanges.

A. metallic car end including :i web provided with inwardly extendingsubstantially.' cliannelshaped reinforcements` which are integral withthe web. and integral vertical ribs within said reinforcements.

e. A metallic car end including a web provided with an int l imvardlyexten-fling substantially channel-shaped reinforcement.

extending from one edge portion of the web to the opposite edgeportionof the same and having vertical ribs therein.

5. A metallic car end provided with a pair of integral channel-shapedreinforcements which extend inwardly from the web and are spaced fromone another, the upper portion of one of said reinforcements forming atop flange for the car end.

6. A one-piece metallic car end including a web, and substantiallychannel-shaped reinforcements integral with the web and projecting fromthe inner surface of the latter, said reinforcements having verticalribs within the same.

7. A one-piece metallic car end including a web. and substantiallychannel-shaped reinforcements integral with the web and proiecting fromthe inner surface of the latter, the upper portion of one of saidreinforcements forming a top edge and each of said Vreinforcementshaving a sloping under surface. as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A one-piece metallic car end including a web` and substantiallychannel-shaped reinforcements integral with the web and projecting fromthe inner surface of the latter, the upper surface of one of saidreinforcements having a depression therein forming a step.

9. A one-piece metallic car end comprising a web provided with integralsubstantially horizontally arranged channel-shaped reinforcements whichextend inwardly from the rear surface of the web. the upper portion ofone of said reinforcements forming a top edge for said car end.

10. A one-piece metallic car end comprising a web provided with integralsubstantially horizontally arranged channel-shaped reinforcements whichextend inwardly from the rear surface of the web, and substantiallyverticallv disposed ribs arranged within andv reinforcing saidchannel-shaped portions.

11. A one-piece metallic car end comprising a web provided with integralsubstantiallv horizontally arranged channel-shaped reinforcements whichextend inwardly from the rear surface of the web. and substantiallyvertically disposed ribs reinforcing said channel-shaped portions. oneof said ribs being arranged at the medial portion of the car end andextending throughout substantially the entire height of the web.

12. A one-piece metallic car end comprising a web provided with integralinwardlv extending reinforcements, a top edge formed by the upperportion of one of said reinforcements and flan ges integral with theside edges of the web and extending inwardly from the latter forattachment to the sides of the car.

13. A one-piece metallic car end having at its top portion an integralsubstantially channel-shaped inwardly extending reinforcement, a shelfprojecting inwardly from the lower portion of the web, and a ribintegral with the web and having its ends merging iililtrlifthechannel-shaped reinforcement and s e 14. A one-piece metallic car endincluding a web having its side edge portions curved and terminating insubstantially parallel flanges.

15. A one-piece metallic car end including a main web provided aboutmidway between its upper and lower edges with an integral substantiallychannel-shaped and substantially horizontally disposed reinforcement,which projects inwardly from the inner surface of the web, the endportions of the reinforcement tapering toward the web, and reinforcingribs arranged within and integral with said channel-shaped part.

16. In a metallic car end. a web projected inwardly to provide an insidestep, the web adjacent to said step forming a retaining valve bracket.

17. A metallic car end including a web having an integral pocketprojecting inwardly from the inner surface of the web, a portion of theweb extending across the mouth of the pocket and forming a retainingvalve bracket.

18. In a one-piece metallic car end, a web provided with an inwardlyextending integral inside step provided with upwardly extending sidewings.

19. A one-piece metallic car end including a main web having its sideedge portions curved to form relatively wide side anges, and integralreinforcements for the web projecting inwardly between the side flanges,and of less widthV than the latter.

In testimony whereof, we have signed this v aoy

